rave
n. countablen. a large party where people dance to loud electronic music, often all night. It can also mean a very positive review of a book or movie.
n. a large-scale dance party featuring electronic music and light shows; also refers to an exceptionally enthusiastic review of a creative work.
The DJ played a great set at the rave last night.
The new restaurant received a rave in the local paper, leading to a three-week waiting list for a table.
While the underground rave scene of the nineties was defined by its DIY aesthetic, modern iterations are often highly commercialised festivals with professional security and corporate sponsorship.
From Middle English raven (“to rave; talk like a madman”), from Old French raver, variant of resver, of uncertain origin. Compare rave below, and rove.
From northern Middle English raven, from Old Norse ráfa (“to wander, roam”), of uncertain and obscure origin. Perhaps from a dissimilation of Proto-Germanic wab(b)ōną (“to sway, waver, swing, shake, wobble, totter, reel, careen”), from Proto-Indo-European webʰ- (“to move, swarm, waft”). Cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk rava (“to wander, be delirious”). Doublet of rove. Compare also Middle Dutch reven (“to utter nonsense, rave, be drowsy”) (whence modern Dutch revelen (“to rave, talk nonsense”), Middle Low German rēven (“to be crazy, think and talk nonsensically”), Middle High German reben (“to move about, dream, be confused”) (compare Alemannic German räbeln (“to make loud noise”)).
English dialect raves, or rathes (“a frame laid on a wagon, for carrying hay, etc.”).
Often used as an attributive noun in phrases like 'rave culture' or 'rave review'.